A Friend in Need
by simplygeeky
Summary: Abby and McGee both tried to move on and find other people but, they just can't seem to get it right. One night at NCIS, Abby was getting ready to leave for the night when she recived a call from her friend, Zane yes, this is a person I just made up . Zane was calling off their date once again. When McGee hears what happened he feels the need to go and check on Abby...
1. Chapter 1

Abby did a little happy dance around her lab after her assumptions were proved to be correct by her masspec. She grabbed all the paper work and neatly placed it in the file, grabbed her jacket and umbrella, then headed for the elevator. While on the ride up her phone blasted a loud, screaming song and Abby smiled as she read the Caller I.D.

"Helloooo?" she made sure to draw out the last letter of the word.

"Hey, Abby, it's Zane. I'm really sorry but something came up, I can't meet you tonight. How about next week?" her friend asked.

Abby had met him about a month ago and this was now the forth time he had to postpone plans with her. She really liked this guy. He was into a lot of the same things she was, her taste in music, he was covered with tattoo's, he even played in a cover band on the weekends which is how they met. He was an accountant which Abby found to be all too boring but, she was willing to look past it if they could just make it to a first date. She was thinking maybe Zane was too good to be true, no guy just cancels four different times and doesn't give a girl a reason.

"I don't think so, Zane. You seem like a real busy guy and I don't want to keep putting things off. I'm sorry." she closed her phone scared of what he might say to her.

The elevator dinged and she stepped off, gave a half-ass smile to Ziva who was the only one of the team in the room, then set the file down on McGee's desk. On the corner of the desk sat a photo of a girl, pretty as could be all Abby did was sigh. Her feelings for Tim never went away even if she was the one who wasn't really ready for a long-term relationship. It made her feel sick to her stomach when ever he would talk about going out to lunch with another girl, she wanted to kick herself for letting him go.

"What's wrong, Abby?" Ziva asked hearing her sigh.

"Zane called off our date." she left out the part about the McGee's fling making her feel even worse.

"This is the third time this has happened, yes?"

"Forth." Abby said glancing at her shifting feet.

"So what did you tell him?"

"That we can't really see each other. I don't want to be put on the back burner, put on hold, ya know? I want to actually be with someone. One someone." Abby explained herself.

"You have come a long way since I first met you. You didn't even want to be in an actual relationship back then!" Ziva told her and a light went off in Abby's head. Maybe she was ready for an actual relationship, one that could have some true potential.

"Thanks Ziva. Is Tim still here or did he go home for the night?" she asked.

"His jacket is still here so I would guess he is around here some place." she pointed out.

"Right. Can you just tell him if he has any questions about the results, just to give me a call?"

"I will. Have a good night."

"Thanks, I will try." Abby said and pressed the down arrow on the elevator.

Just as the door closed, McGee walked around the corner. He first slammed his phone down on the desk, shoved the photo of the girl Abby had been looking at in a drawer and then finally slumped himself into his chair, then he finally noticed the file.

"Was Abby here?" he asked Ziva across the room.

"Just left. She said if you have any questions to call her but I'd be careful about doing that." she warned.

"And why is that, Ziva?" he asked rubbing his temples.

"She is in a very upset mood. Zane called off their date again and she told him she could not keep it up anymore. She seemed very down in the trash can."

McGee panicked in his head. Abby had been talk about this date for about a month and each time he pushed it back she seemed a little more sad. He could only imagine what she was feeling. Sometimes Abby was really good at expressing how she was feeling and other times, she was good at hiding it. Either way, she couldn't be doing well.

"It's 'down in the dumps' and you said she just left?" he asked pulling somethings out of his desk drawers and standing to put his coat on.

"Yes about five minutes ago but, don't you have a date tonight?" she asked him over her shoulder.

He was frantically pressing the down arrow, "Wasn't my type. I called it off before anything too serious happened."

"You have a type, McGee." Ziva grinned.

"Not now, Ziva" and the elevator door closed.

On the way down, Tim did think about his type.

"Yeah, Ziva, I do have a type. Forensic Scientists with dark hair that is normally in pig tales, who wear bright red lipstick, have tattoo's and are named Abby." he admitted to the empty elevator, "Yeah."

He kept trying to date other women because him and Abby wanted different things out of a relationship. He was ready to have a future with someone and she wasn't there yet. But whenever he would go on a date, something just wasn't right about the girl. Tim was finally realizing, there is no other Abby.

It was raining when he reached the parking lot and Abby's parking space was empty. She had to have gone home and McGee felt he need to do something for her. On the walk to his car he thought of what he could do, he rested on the idea that both of them were suppose to have a date tonight and it was a date they were going to have. On the way to her apartment, he stopped at her favorite Chinese Restaurant, ordered food for the two of them and then made his way through the city to her.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her car parked outside of the building meaning she was in fact, home. Unfortunately, there where no other spots near there for him to park. He drove around and ended up having to park a good five blocks away. The rain was still pouring down on him as he hurried along the sidewalk, he shook his head off when he was finally inside the building and he leaned on the up button to reach her floor, all he could think was _please do not let the power go out while I am in here_. Even with all the food in his arms he reached his phone in his pocket and called Abby.

"Hey McGee, what'da need help with." she sounded pretty down, much like Ziva had described.

"There is a guy outside your apartment holding some tasty Chinese food and he would really like if you could open the door for him, like, now, pleaseeee." he said to her.

"Are you...?" he heard what ever had been on in her apartment shut off and the lock on her door turn.

"You are here!" she exclaimed and hugged him hard, "Timothy! You are soaked! Come in, come in." she grabbed one of the bags from him and ushered him inside.

He sat the bags down and finally got a chance to breathe again. Abby was wearing one of his old MIT workout shirts and a pair of baggy shorts that he swore were his at one time. An old black and white movie was paused on her T.V., a pint of ice cream with a spoon sticking out of it was half gone on her coffee table, a box of tissues sat next to it and he bet if he looked there would be a small pile of used ones somewhere on the sofa.

"Let me go change and you can wear this, okay?" she asked backing away and spinning on her heal into her bed room.

"Abbs really, I'm fine. I can dry off." he said though the crack of her door.

"Nonsense! You will get sick and then we will all hear it from Gibbs.

He rolled his eyes a little even though he knew she was right. He took off his coat and hung it on a hook by the door. She came out now wearing a tank top with one of his work shirts over it and another pair of shorts and again, he could have bet money that he had a pair like that at one point.

She gave a little gesture into her room for him to go and he closed the door behind him, "Abby, just how many of my cloths do you have exactly?" he asked pealing the wet shirt off him.

"Exactly? I don't really know the number." she joked. And he smiled.

She blocked the door way as he walked out, "I'll take those." she smiled holding out her hands for his wet things.

It was then McGee noticed the tear streaks from her dark eye make up, "How are you holding up?" he asked her forgetting about his cloths.

"I have been better but, I have a friend with me now. Everything is better with a friend around." she tried to play it off but McGee wasn't buying her act. He wasn't going to push her to talk about it though if she didn't want to.

He moved for the food while she hung his cloths over the side of her tub. He had two plates set on the coffee table, "Tim, you are the best!" she said seeing the soup, pork and rice, and egg roles on her plate.

"Thanks, Abbs. So what are we watching?" he asked kicking up his feet and handing her the remote. He was going to turn this night around.


	2. Chapter 2

"McGee! I am shocked by your lack of classic movie knowledge!" she said almost spitting out a bite of egg roll.  
"Well, play it and I will see if I get it." he told her and she pressed play.  
All it took was the lovely Juliet Forrest sucking the bullet from Rigby Reardon and McGee knew, "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid! HA!" he said and pointed his fork at her.  
"That's better, Tim." she said blowing on the still hot soup.  
They finished the food rather quickly, neither of them eating much all day seeing as they were expecting to go out on dates later that evening. Both of them stayed on opposite ends of the couch not wanting to make the other feel awkward or anything. McGee kept his feet up on the coffee table and Abby balled herself up in a blanket and was huddling with Bert. They sat in silence for most of the movie, aside from when Abby would quote something Steve Martin would say. It wasn't until McGee heard saw Abby reaching for her Kleenex's again that he spoke up, "Abb's?" he questioned.  
"What? This is a very emotional part!" she tried to defend her tears.  
He smiled at her weak attempt to cover herself. He gave her a look, one of those _'I know you so much better than that so don't even try'_ looks. "Come here." he said and shifted himself so she could lean on him.  
Abby lifted up the tissue box as if to ask '_Can I bring them?_'  
"You know I don't care if you cry on me." he told her. She lifted up the blanket and moved to him. Making sure they both were covered before burying her head into his chest and breaking down.  
"I just, liked him, ya know? I should have known after the second time this wasn't going to happen..." Abby trailed off.

Tim let her lay there on him, hugging him tight and occasionally digging her nails into his skin, right through the shirt fabric when she was having a hard sob. McGee had learned from Gibbs that when Abby was upset she would ramble on and the best thing to do would be to let it run its corse and just be there for her, so that's what he did. He rubbed her back to calm her down, spoke softly to the top of her head, mostly things like; '_I know Abbs. He's a jerk_.' and what seemed to be her personal favorite, _'he doesn't know what he's missin._'  
He meant every word he said to her, and Abby started to believe him. He would kiss the top of her forehead every now and then and Abby focused on that to keep herself from getting worse. She had someone there, someone caring for her and someone that she cared for equally in return. McGee rested his cheek on top of her head and kept on rubbing her back until the sobs were gone and Abby laid still, her breathing at a normal and steady pace.  
"Abbs?" he whispered to her.  
All she did was move a little, made sure she had a good grip on him and wrapped her legs around his for safety. McGee remembered this from being with her years ago and suddenly, those years didn't seem so far away anymore, it was like hardly anytime had past between them.  
When it was clear he was not breaking out of Abby's death hold, he reached for the remote and turned off the movie just as it was ending. He leaned his arm back and pulled the cord to shut off the light behind him and the apartment fell dark aside from the little light in the kitchen and the street lights outside the window.  
"Good night, Abby." he said and kissed the top of her head again.  
She wiggled her head a little and McGee was pretty sure he caught a smile on her face.

"Why in the hell have neither of them been answering!?" Gibbs was raging at Tony and Ziva.  
While both Tim and Abby had left for the night, Ziva had made a huge break in the case they had been working on for weeks now. It wasn't anything that couldn't wait until the morning but when he tried to call both of them to tell of the progress and neither answered, Gibbs grew worried. He didn't start to show it until he tried Abby's house phone and the call would not go through.  
"I don't know, Boss. McGeek did have a date with some hot reporter tonight." Tony pointed out, "Oh, and Abby was finally having her date with that Zane guy. Maybe both dates are going really well." he laughed at his own joke but, Gibbs was not amused.  
"Actually, both of their plans fell threw. Zane cancelled on Abby again and she was very upset when she left and McGee canceled on the reporter, he said she wasn't his type." Ziva informed them.  
"How is tall, tan and sexy not his type?! That's anyone's type! Especially with those bright green eye's with that blonde hair, I mean co-"  
Tony received a hard smack to the back of his head, "Focus people! Did either of them say where they were going before they left?" Gibbs asked Ziva.  
"I assumed Abby would just be going home and McGee rushed out of her to check on her but, I don't think he would have had much luck. She wasn't really in a normal Abby-like mood." she said.  
Gibbs reached into the top drawer of his desk and pulled out his keys and begun taking off one of them, "Ziva, check out Abby's place. She might be upset in which case she wont answer the door; here's her house key. Tony, check on McGee. Oh, and give him a good smack in the head from me when you find him!"  
The two split in different directions, both tried calling McGee and Abby many times but, still no answer. The storm was still going on, harder than it had been earlier that evening. When Ziva reached Abby's building she noted that the power was knocked out completely, she gave a glance around to the near by buildings to be sure Abby's was not the only one and it wasn't, at least three other buildings were totally dark. They were able to run lights in the halls but that was it. Just as she reached Abby's floor she called Gibbs to let him know what was going on.

McGee woke up to hearing someone talking close by, not close enough to be in the room with him and Abby but they were just out side of the door. He wouldn't deny that he had been on his guard a lot more since that time Abby had almost been kidnapped from his apartment and the fact she was with him now made him want to be one hundred percent more protective. He rubbed her back once and she did not move, she was still fast asleep. He didn't want to wake her and alarm her but, he knew if someone came in the room he was going to have to act quickly. So he waited and he listened.  
Nothing happened for a few minutes but he kept his eyes wide open in the dark, it didn't even register with him that the light in the kitchen had been shut off. Then he heard the sound he was dreading most, the tumbler lock on her door turned slowly and the door itself opened even slower. McGee's back was to the door, he had no idea who was entering her apartment. So, just as the plan went in his head, he placed one hand behind Abby's head, flipped her over so she was now under him and he grabbed his gun off the table all in one swift motion. As he held Abby's head to his chest and she clenched up under him, his other hand held his gun and was pointing straight down a flash light beam that was blinding him.  
He squinted through the light, "Ziva?" he asked lowering the gun ever so slightly.  
"McGee?" she questioned back. "Oh, how lucky you are that it is Tony who went to check on your apartment." she grinned and McGee and Abby blushed violently.

Ziva sat in a chair across the room and told them why she was there. Asked why they didn't answer their phones and then demanded to know if something more was going on between them. Abby and McGee took turns speaking.  
"My power goes out like crazy here, and my cell is in my bed room. I must have left it in there when I changed." she remembered.  
"And mine's in my jacket pocket. I didn't take it out once I got here. Glad you finally caught a break in the case though. Are you sure Gibbs doesn't want us back at NCIS?" McGee asked.  
"Yes, yes, I am sure." she brushed his question off, "Now neither of you have answered the most important question I asked. Is there something going on between you two?" she prompted again hoping the answer would be yes.  
Both of them wanted to say yes. This time, both of them were actually ready to say yes. But, neither of them were telepathic and couldn't tell their thoughts were the same. McGee's eyes darted across the room, anywhere besides Ziva and Abby's keep looking right down at her feet.  
"Well?!" Ziva asked impatiently.  
Abby caught McGee's wandering eye's as she glanced up to him. It was as if in that moment they were on the same wave length or something similar. Abby reached out hands on either side of McGee's face and he grabbed her arms tightly, they kissed. It was long over due, it was bound to happen and they were sure going to get hell for it at work but, none of that mattered.  
They broke a part smiling at one and other, "I suppose I can take that as a yes?" Ziva asked.  
"Yes, Ziva. That is a you sure can." Abby said.  
"Well, it is about time!" she said standing up to leave.  
"HEY!" both Abby and McGee said in sync.  
"I am just saying." she smiled and held up her hands to surrender.  
The two stood up and walked her to the door, "Can you do us a favor and let us tell the rest of the team? I don't really know how we should go about that yet mainly since we just figured things out for ourselves." McGee said rubbing the back of his head.  
"Oh, I won't get in the middle of that. Gibbs does want everyone in the office at eight in the morning so, don't keep each other up too late." she winked and shut the door.

Abby smiled widely at McGee and he picked her up, kissing her again. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he rested her back flush with the wall. After roughly five good minutes of relighting an old flame they both sank to the floor.  
They both started to spit reasons why they had been hiding feelings, things they wish they would have brought up sooner but all they ended up doing was laughing.  
"But honestly, what on earth are we going to tell Gibbs? And Tony!? Oh God, I can hear him now with the comments." McGee leaned his head back and groaned.  
"You leave Gibbs to me. And do you really think Tony will be that bad?" she asked him.  
"To you, no. But, I have to sit next to him, all day. With nothing else to do because we have a huge break in the case!" his head started to hurt just thinking about it.  
Abby reached into Tim's coat pocket and pulled out his phone. She had to exit out of the twenty something missed calls and finally saw the time, "We have five hours to come up with what we are going to say and knowing our brain power, I bet we could come up with something in one hour alone." he grinned at her. "And if Tony gets too annoying, just remind him of the photo I have on my phone. That should shut him up very quickly." she got that sort of devious look in her eye while McGee looked puzzled.  
Abby pulled him by the arm up and ran to her room, dodging everything that McGee ran into in the dark. Abby found the picture in question; it was a clear photo of Tony looking right at Ziva's ass while she bent over to get a file out of a bottom drawer. "Oh, that is great! Do you know how long I have been trying to catch him in the act?" McGee laughed.  
Just then the lights in Abby's apartment flickered back on. The T.V. was still off but the light in Abby's room shown bright. McGee's eyes fell on her coffin-like bed and he got an uncomfortable look on his face.  
"Oh, come on Timmy. It's not like you haven't slept in it before." Abby joked and pulled him downward on top of her in the bed.  
They decided to worry about what to tell Gibbs in the morning and enjoy a night to themselves. But, come daylight, they would have to have something up their sleeve. After all, McGee returning to work in the same thing he wore yesterday would look a little suspicious..

Notes from ME!

I am sorry if you have never watched the movie Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid but, it is not only one of my favorite black and white movies but it is one of my favorite movies ever! If you haven't seen it, you really should. And I also really love bad ass McGee. New Chapter should be up soon! :)


	3. Chapter 3

Abby woke up to the alarm on her phone sounding. She untangled herself from Tim, hopped out of her coffin and over to her phone and silenced it before he even stirred in his slumber. She pulled his shirt a little tighter against her bare chest and smiled at the clothing scattered around the room. Abby pulled on her shorts that she had been wearing the night before and the lightly kissed McGee's forehead meaning to wake him gently but that didn't happen. It startled him, he wasn't used to waking up with anyone lately and it sent him flying backward and causing his head to ram into the back of the coffin.  
"Timmy! I am so sorry! Are you alright?" she asked attempting to see the back of his head.  
"Yeah, I'm all good. A simple, '_wake up, sleepy head,_' would have done the trick though, Abbs." he said pulling himself up.  
"You used to like it when I kissed you awake." she teased him.  
"Well, that was normally because we didn't have to be at work and it lead to other physical actives." he teased back with a sly sort of smile.  
Abby then had a slum look on her face, "Work, right. You're sure we have to go in today?" she moaned.  
"I think Ziva might back down on her word if we don't." and he stood up out of the bed, "Think my cloths are dry?" he asked her.  
"I don't know but," she wiggled out of his shirt, threw it at him, then ran topless to the bathroom, "You should wear that one in today." her voice trailed.  
McGee laughed at her carefree style, he loved how comfortable she was with him but he still wanted to be the gentleman mainly because their relationship status was nothing too official at that moment. He scanned the room for a shirt for her and his eyes fell on a robe hanging on the knob of her closet door. Abby came back in the room and he slipped it over her shoulders while she rambled, "Okay. Your white shirt and tie are all good but the pants are a little wet, thank you, around the pockets and stuff but I think you will be okay." she said pulling on the robe.  
McGee took his cloths from her and went to change in the bathroom while she changed in her room. The two of them did everything in their power to actually leave on time and decided what they would tell the team with out too many 'distractions' getting the better of them. They decided to just tell them the truth if they were asked, if not, then they would just keep their personal and professional lives separate for now until they decided what to do themselves.

"Your car or mine?" Abby asked as the stepped out onto the sun soaked sidewalk.  
"Mine is a few blocks away and if you want to stop for breakfast we should probably just take yours. We are running a little late as is." Tim pointed out.  
"My car it is!" Abby said and walked with her usual spring in her step.  
They drove to a near by coffee shop, grabbed bagels and coffee for the whole team. McGee figured Tony might lay off the jokes if his mouth was full. Just as they were leaving McGee's cell phone rang in his coat pocket, "Yes, Boss?" he asked answering it to Gibbs, "Yeah, I actually I am. We walked to the coffee shop and." his lie was cut off, "Okay, we are on our way." and he hung up the phone.  
"I thought we didn't have to be in until eight?" Abby asked placing all the cups of coffee in the holder.  
"A case came up and Gibbs needs us back, like, right now." McGee said grabbing the bag of bagels and rushing out the door right behind Abby.  
Abby floored it getting to NCIS, she knew that they would have to go on the scene if Tim wasn't there in time and she would have drive him in her car and then she would have to explain to Gibbs why he didn't have his car and that just was not the way she wan't to have that conversation.

"I have coffee!" Abby sang as she stepped off the elevator.  
"And I have bagels." MeGee said in just a normal tone, "Figured if we had to go out, we could eat and drink on the way?" he said opening the bag for Ziva to grab one.  
"We aren't going anywhere, McGee." Gibbs said rounding the corner and snagging one of Abby's coffee's.  
"Gibbs! That's," it was too late, he took a gulp of her latte, "not yours." she finished exchanging the cup for his plain black, "and on that note. I will be heading down to the lab. Do you have any evidence for me yet?" she asked.  
"Nope." he said and washed his mouth out.  
McGee was puzzled, "Then, if we aren't going anywhere and there is nothing to process, why the rush to get here?" he asked fearing Ziva had tipped someone off and the case was just a way of getting them both to the office.  
"I don't have anything for Abby to analyze but, I do need her help." he walked away and motioned for Abby to fallow him. She did so and waved a little at McGee as she left. He grinned a stupid sort of grin and held up a hand to wave back as she walked around the corner.  
"Okay, okay!? What is this?" Tony was laughing all too hard.  
"What is what?" McGee asked confused once more.  
He stood up and faced him, "This. This look on your face." DiNozzo said pointing at him, then he paused for a moment, leaned closer to McGee's collar, and made a sniff sound, "And why do you smell like, Lilac?" he asked him.  
"N-nothing. Just waved bye to Abbs is all. And I must have used Sarah's body wash by mistake this morning." he lied and grabbed himself a bagel and sat at his desk.  
"McGee, I said I would not get in the middle only because you two wanted to handle it. Denying is not handling." Ziva reminded him spreading butter over a side of her breakfast.  
"Handle what!? Someone explain something!" DiNozzo was always irritated when he was not informed about office happenings.

"Gibbs, I'm not too sure of what else I can do for an investigation and why are we going to the interrogation rooms? I am really not going to be good doing that!" Abby was talking a mile a minute. She hated keeping things from Gibbs so she just wanted to tell him but, he seemed very focused right now and she didn't want to interfere with that.  
They came to a halt in front of Interrogation Room 1, "There was a Navel Officer reported missing at seven this morning; in that room is his eight year old daughter. I need you to talk to her for me, Abby. She was the one who reported it but, that's all we have. I need you to tell me what she knows." he said and went to the door so he could watch.  
"But, shouldn't Ziva be doing this? Or DiNozzo, he is really good with things like this!" she tired to get out of it.  
"She's Deaf, Abbs." and almost shut the door.  
"Wait!" Abby demanded, "I will figure things out but, when I am done I need to talk to you about something and you can't get mad, promise?" she asked and held out her pinky finger.  
Gibbs linked his pinky to her's, "Promise. Now, go find out about my missing Officer." he said and finally closed the door.

McGee opened the lid of the coffee and poured a creamer into it and stirred, "I'm not playing around here! Between this missing Officer and his daughter with the flying hands, I don't need any secrets in here!" Tony said before downing his coffee with sugar, 'cause_ he needed so much more energy'_, McGee thought.  
"Remember how I told you McGee was at a bar last night, Tony? And how he called me to tell me which is why he wasn't at his apartment?" Ziva prompted.  
"Yeah." DiNozzo replied.  
"I lied." she said and took another bite of her bagel.  
Tony's eyes went back to McGee, "So where were you, Probie? You went after that reporter after all, didn't you? I knew you couldn't be that dumb." he lifted the coffee to his lips.  
"It wasn't the reporter I went after." he told him still stirring the coffee and he could feel the tips of his ears glowing red.  
"Go on." he told him and took his drink.  
"I went after Abby, back to her place, which is where Ziva found us." he started to explain.  
Tony choked as he went to swallow and almost fell right out of his chair. Once the coughing stopped he leaned forward, "Tha-that's what you smell like! It was lilac but you smell like Abby!" his voice then changed to a sneaky sort of one, "Wait, what exactly did Ziva find?" he asked the question more to Ziva than McGee.  
"Walk into them on the couch. McGee on top of Abby pointing a gun right at me. He was quite protective." Ziva noted.  
"Technically, we were sleeping and I heard her outside the door. I didn't know it was Ziva though so when the door opened I flipped Abby so she was protected and grabbed my gun. It could have been anyone walking in!" he defended himself.  
"Well, look at McBadass over here!" Tony joked, clearly the food idea was not working as well as McGee had hoped, "Are you and Abby, together now? Again, I should say." he reworded his question.  
McGee fumbled, he didn't really know what they were. Feelings were there, no question about that but, Abby and him didn't get much time to talk about things between them yet. "Tell you what, Tony, when I know, you'll know." and he tried to end it there but, DiNozzo had to get the last word.  
"I'd hate to be you when Gibbs finds out." and he went back to his bagel.

Abby got as much knowledge out of the girl that she could.  
"Her name is, Claire Fairfield, and I understand why you needed me. She is so quick with her signs!" Abby said when she met Gibbs in the hall.  
"And I know you got more out of her than a name so lets get to that." he pushed her on.  
"Right, she told me how she was in her room asleep, she remembered waking up and looking at the clock and seeing in was about four in the morning. She went down stairs to get something to drink and found her living room, kitchen and dining room to be a total mess. She said everything was torn a part. She ran back up stairs to tell her father what happened but he was not in his room and his bed looked like he hadn't even slept in it. She went back down stairs trying to find him and realized her back door was wide open."  
"So where was her mother and why did it take her so long to get here?" Gibbs asked hoping she had an answer.  
"I asked about her mother and she nearly started to cry,"  
"So that's what that was." Gibbs said and let Abby continue.  
"She did say that her mother died but didn't go into anything more and I didn't want to push her. It took her so long because she had to find a cab that would deal with her long enough to read the address on the paper that she had written. To get her here to NCIS." Abby sounded a little mad about it and she had a right to be.  
Gibbs started walking and Abby fallowed in his steps, "I am going to go with Tony and Ziva to check out the house, see if we can find anything Claire didn't pick up on. I want you and McGee to stay with her, take her down to your lab and have her tell you every detail of her house that she can remember so we can hopefully figure out what happened." and he started to walk away.

"Gibbs?" Abby called.  
"What Abbs?" he asked sounding more than a little impatient.  
"You said we can talk, remember?"  
"Right, what's going on?"  
She grew quiet and Gibbs had to stand very close to her to even hear what she was saying, "I broke Rule Number 12." she admitted.  
Gibbs thought for only a moment because it really didn't take much to put it together, "McGee?" he asked and Abby shook her head to confirm that he was correct.  
"How long?" he asked. Gibbs didn't like being kept in the dark and if it was any other person, he would voiced that but, this was Abby and he couldn't do that to her.  
"Some feelings were rediscovered last night." she said blushing. "I really didn't stop liking him, Gibbs and, I think he still feels the same about me. I know you didn't really like it when we were sort of together before but, I promise we will keep things very professional at work." Abby said and held her breathe, waiting for the lecture about how dating a co-worker was a horrible idea.  
But he just kissed her cheek, "That's all I can ask. Now, go grab Claire and I will send McGee down so you guys can get to work." he said going right back to professional Gibbs.  
Abby exhaled and grinned to herself. Her part of the deal was done, now to find if Tony knew yet.

Notes from ME!

So I am sorry this part is shorter than the rest but, I couldn't think of too much more to add. Also please keep this in the back of your mind while reading; I have only watched up to season 4 (currently starting season 5) so if something is a little hinky with my writing, that could be why. THANKS FOR READING! Next part should be up soon!


	4. Chapter 4

McGee made his way down to Abby's lab as directed by Gibbs. He wondered why he was not going with everyone else to the crime scene like usual and why Gibbs didn't fill him in like he normally did. On the elevator ride down the only thought drilling in the back of his brain was that Abby had told him about last night and it didn't go over well.

"Alright, Abby? What do we have?" he asked over the blasting music; he wasn't sure but it seemed louder than usual. As he stepped in he didn't find her in the main lab so he walked through the sliding door and found her dancing about the room with some little bright eyed girl.

"McGee!" Abby hollered and grabbed his hand for him to dance a long. Tim spun both girls around the room, until the end of the song and ONLY because it was Abby.

Abby silenced the music and everyone felt a sort of ringing in their ears.

"And who might this little dancer be?" McGee asked squatting down to Claire's hight.

"Tim this is Claire Fairfield. She came in the morning and reported her father, Officer Hector Fairfield, missing from their home." Abby explained. Tim didn't realize Abby had been signing everything she had been saying so Claire could understand what was going on.

"Claire, my name is Tim." he felt a little silly repeating what Abby had just said but he kept going, "You are very brave to come all the way here to tell us about your father, we will do everything we can to find him." McGee reassured her with a smile. Again, Abby translated for her.

When Claire signed back, 'Thank you', McGee turned with an astonished look back to Abby who was leaning on her desk, "She says, thank you." she told him. "By the way, she's also Deaf." Abby then added.

McGee looked back at the girl, "I get that, Abbs." he smiled again at her and she giggled, "So, what does Gibbs need us to do?" he stood up.

Abby explained to both McGee and Claire what needed to be done and both were more than up for the task. McGee worked at the computer and Abby asked as many questions as she could think to and then would translate them back to McGee to put into the render. By the time they were done they had what the rooms like before and after the break in.

Claire stood under the large T.V. and studied both pictures carefully, she didn't want them to miss out on a single thing. She suddenly remembered something and in a flurry signed it to Abby, "Oh my!" and she pulled her arms over Tim to type something in. The picture changed; a door was now open and a pair of keys that had been laying on a table were missing.

"A car was stolen?" McGee questioned over his shoulder.

"Look at you figuring things out!" Abby said and kissed the top of his head just in enough time for the rest of the team to walk into the lab and see it.

"Awe, how sweet." Tony said in a overly sarcastic manor and Abby turned right around to shoot the most deadly of looks at him.

Gibbs smacked the back of his head, "What do we got?"

Abby and Tim took turns explaining what Claire had told them and then exchanged that information for what was found at the actual crime scene. Claire had picked up on every little detail and everyone was amazed.

"So, there was a car at one point?" Tony asked and waited to Claire to respond to Abby.

"She says, 'Yes, there was. My dad picked me up from school at about three and we didn't leave the rest of the night. He always parks in the garage."

"No one else came over that night, no visitors?" Ziva questioned.

Claire thought before signing, "No. But, we did get pizza for dinner. The man looked like a normal pizza delivery guy though." Abby voiced and Claire shrugged.

"Tony, I want a BOLO out on the Officers car, now. McGee, background check on pizza guy. I know it's not much but, it's all we have right now. Ziva, back accounts, phone records, all that. Now!" Gibbs barked and the team dispersed besides Gibbs, Abby, McGee and Claire.

"What are you waiting for McGee?" Gibbs asked him.

"I'm just wondering if we know what pizza place they went to. It could shorten the search time by a lot. If she doesn't remember that, maybe just what the guy looks like?" he asked Abby and she questioned Claire.

"She is saying that they ordered from Angelo's. The guy was about your hight McGee, but, a lot bigger. He had dark shaggy hair and didn't wear a name tag." Abby finished and looked to the guys but Claire tugged at her lab coat, "And he acted like he was really new." she added.

"Check it out, McGee." and Tim went on his way.

Gibbs managed to get himself and Abby away from Claire for a minute, "I am going to take her up with me when I go back. I need you to test these. There were two blood smears in the garage. Figure out who it belongs to." he instructed Abby.

"Alright but, Claire can stay with me, at least I can sign with her." Abby said.

"Fine. But, I don't want her to see those results in case they are her fathers, she doesn't need to be around that."

"Understood!" Abby said and gave a salute.

"I see you and McGee worked well together on this." Gibbs stated.

"Professional, just like I said." Abby smiled.

"That's good to see, Abbs. Good to see you actually smile again too." and walked out of the room while Abby blushed.

Gibbs waved good-bye to Claire and Abby started the tests on the blood with out telling Claire what it was. Abby was sure she didn't even notice her do anything. All she wanted to talk about was the team.

Claire talked about how Gibbs seemed very grumpy and Abby had to explain how he just needed sometime to warm up to things, he was a great guy underneath it all. Tony, Claire thought was really funny and Abby agreed with her. Claire said that Ziva sort of scared her, and Abby could understand why. But, she quickly said what a kind person Ziva really was but she was one tough cookie. Then Claire finally got to McGee.

'He is really cute.' she started with.

Abby shook her head to agree.

'And you like him.' was her second comment.

Abby just blushed.

'Does he like you?' he asked back.

'Yes. He does.' Abby signed with a big smile.

That was when the mile-a-minute signing started, 'Are you guys in love? Are you guys going to get married? Have kids? You would be awesome parents, I can already tell!'

Abby waved her hands for her to stop, 'We are just realizing feelings for each other. Love, I think it's there. Married and kids though, no idea about that yet!' Abby told her and computer made a beeping sound and the printer started to work and Ziva ran through the door.

Abby picked up the paper to find one was a positive match for the Officer and the other for a Matthew Craft. She handed the papers to Ziva, "I don't need them. I do need you to bring Claire with me upstairs." she said with a smile.

As they rode in the elevator, no one spoke a word. Abby was worried that something horrible had come up and Ziva couldn't tell her but, then she would see the smile on her face and think that couldn't be right. Ziva never had a problem delivering hard news before. When they stepped off the elevator they saw the rest of the team gathered around Gibbs' desk and Claire let out this happy scream. She ran to the man sitting in the chair and jumped onto him. Abby went to stand by McGee as they witnessed the heart warming sight.

"How'd you guys find him?" she asked quietly.

"We didn't. He found us. He wandered in here about a half hour ago. Said he escaped the man who had captured him and went right home for his daughter. When she wasn't there he remembered telling her if anything should ever happen to him, try to remember not to go to the police but go to NCIS." Tim just watched Hector signing to his daughter and thought how magical it looked and then finished talking to Abby, "He said he would tell us everything but, he needed to see his daughter first, I would demand the same when I have a child." he the corner of his mouth tugged upward in a smile before he realized what he had said and who he had just said it to, "Abbs, I didn't mean," she cut him off.

"I know what you meant, and I would do the exact same thing, when I have a child." she smiled back to calm him down and he relaxed leaning in to kiss the top of her head.

All in good time they learned that Officer Fairfield was working on a experimental explosive device, the person who had taken him was from a foreign military working on roughly the same project. Officer Fairfield was the one who kept all the information on the project, codes, passwords, etc. He told Gibbs that he could identify the man who took him and that was what the NCIS team set out to do.

With in three hours they had rounded up the men that they were looking for; Tony recalls it as one of the most open and shut cases he had ever had to deal with. They all waved good-bye to the Officer and Claire but not before Claire came running back to McGee and signed something to him, smiled and latched her hand back to her fathers. All Tim got from it was that he was suppose to do something and it had to do with Abby.

"What'd she say, Abbs?" he asked her while they walked out to her car. He had fought off asking while everyone else was around but now he was dying to know.

Abby blushed as she started to tell him, "She said she knows I love you and that you love me so you better marry me some day."

Tim laughed and stretched his arms high over his head before draping one of them over Abby's shoulders, "Oh, to be eight again. I miss things seeming that simple." he sighed.

"I have to agree, Timmy. I do agree." Abby smiled and snaked her arm around him while they walked out into the night.

Notes From ME!

I am sorry if my writing is a little rough during the parts that are meant to be signed. I have been signing for seven years now so I am used to writing in a sort of sign language speak, I did my best not to make it too bad. But, this is my little end to this part of my story. I am going to write a new one that goes off of this but it is going to be set a few months later and I hope to have it up sometime tomorrow (I would say tonight but, you and I both know that wont happen). I hoped you liked this little part. I think the new one is going to be called 'Save Me' if you'd like to keep an eye out for it.


End file.
